Gait analysis in Kirkwood, MO. Gait analysis, also referred to as motion analysis, is a way physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners can assess your movement to offer personalized care and get you back to the things you love most. Whether you’re an athlete healing from an injury or you’re trying to handle chronic pain, gait analysis can be part of an overall, evidence-backed therapy program that’s customized for your lifestyle and goals.

Your Kirkwood, MO physical therapist can use gait analysis to:

• Identify and manage gait disorders
• Discover hidden musculoskeletal or nerve dysfunction that causes pain or affects movement health
• Assess and track treatment outcomes
• Prevent and rehabilitate injuries
• Prescribe orthotic or prosthetic devices
• Select footwear that’s comfortable and helps prevent injuries

At Axes Physical Therapy in Kirkwood, MO, our team of physical therapists are devoted to one thing: getting you back to what you love most. If you’re wondering if gait analysis is right for you, call the Axes’ location most convenient for you or make an appointment online to get started with your treatment today.

What Is Gait Analysis?

When performed by licensed physical therapists, gait analysis is an assessment of how you move, specifically how you walk and run. By gaining precise information about how you walk and run, your physical therapist can offer insights into muscle imbalances, injury risks, the status of injury rehabilitation, and more. Because our gaits our the result of a multitude of factors – strength, flexibility, coordination, vision, the vestibular system – gait analysis can provide a valuable look at your overall movement health.

In a gait analysis appointment, your Axes physical therapist in Kirkwood, MO will look at:

• Step length and width
• Cadence (number of steps taken per minute)
• Foot and ankle alignment to see if you have tendencies towards pronation (inward rolling) or supination (outward rolling)
• Joint movement and range of motion
• Movement of the pelvis to see if there is excessive rotating or titling
• Stability, balance, and body sway (the amount of lateral movement)
• Step repeatability (the similarity of your steps)

With a precise understanding of your gait, your Kirkwood, MO physical therapist can customize your treatment and help you get back to the things you love most.

Who Gait Analysis Can Help in Kirkwood, MO

While gait analysis isn’t a therapy in and of itself, it offers essential insights to your physical therapist about your movement health, allowing them to offer more focused and customized treatment. As such, gait analysis can positively impact a wide range of people in Kirkwood, MO:

• Athletes desiring a competitive edge — Correct form becomes crucial at the zenith of sports. Gait analysis allows athletes to improve their form, identify strength imbalances and range of motion limitations, and prevent injury.
• Athletes healing from injury — If you’re recovering from an ACL tear or other sports injury, gait analysis can be used to track how your recovery’s going and verify that your body is recovering and developing strength correctly.
• Others recovering from injury — Whether you were injured on the job, involved in a car accident, or had to get surgery, you don’t have to be an athlete to derive advantages from gait analysis in facilitating your recuperation from injury.
• Runners — Whether you’re just starting out in a beginner running program or you’re an experienced veteran, gait analysis can assist you in identifying the right footwear, which, coupled with additional insights from gait analysis, can improve your speed, conserve energy, and lower the chance of injury.
• Amputees — Having a limb removed can drastically impede your movement health, along with causing phantom pain. Gait analysis allows healthcare professionals to design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices tailored to your body and lifestyle. It can additionally help you in adjusting to your new device and maximizing its function and comfort.
• People with neurological conditions — Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, and various conditions can greatly impact our daily lives and movement health. Gait analysis enables healthcare professionals to track disease progression, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and shape rehabilitation strategies.
• Older adults — Our bodies inevitably weaken as we age. This can result in an elevated risk of falling for older adults, along with degenerative conditions like tendonitis and arthritis. Gait analysis can provide assistance in discovering ways to relieve pressure on sore joints, reduce injury risks, and assess the cognitive and motor facets of mobility health.

Regardless of why you’re seeking out physical therapy, whether it’s working to eventually run that marathon or simply enjoy your daily life without discomfort, Axes’ licensed physical and occupational therapists in Kirkwood, MO will utilize gait analysis to personalize your treatment, optimize your care, and assist you in returning to the pursuits you love.

Two Types of Gait Analysis

There are generally two main types of gait analysis:

1. Qualitative gait analysis — Also known as clinical gait analysis, this approach entails a physical therapist directly observing your gait as you walk and via video recordings. It allows the physical therapist to acquire a overall overview of your mobility health and easily detect any noticeable patterns. Qualitative gait analysis relies on the professional judgment of the therapist to draw conclusions.
2. Quantitative gait analysis — Also known as instrument-assisted gait analysis, this method employs specialized technology, including sensors and motion capture software, to provide objective, quantifiable data regarding your gait. By employing precise numerical values, it enables more detailed analysis and monitoring of your improvement over time.

Both clinical and instrument-assisted gait analysis are suitable in the right situations and with specific patients. At Axes, our team in Kirkwood, MO possesses the ability and expertise to customize our gait analysis services to address your individual needs.

Axes’ DorsaVi Video Motion Analysis in Kirkwood, MO

At Axes, our main focus is achieving positive patient outcomes and assisting individuals in returning to their cherished activities. To accomplish this, we make use of every available tool that can help our patients in Kirkwood, MO. When conducting gait analysis in Kirkwood, MO, our highly skilled physical therapists employ innovative DorsaVi video motion analysis to provide combined qualitative and quantitative analysis.

With DorsaVi video motion analysis:

• Sensors are placed on your body that monitor your motion, muscle activity, and static postures
• DorsaVi’s software translates that complex data into valuable information that your physical therapist can analyze
• During video replay, your movements are slowed down to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis and breakdown of your motion
• Your Axes’ physical therapist incorporates these insights with their clinical observations to recommend successful, evidence-based treatment modalities
• Your progress is regularly tracked over time and evaluated against the normal population as well as your previous sessions

Axes’ Approach to Gait Analysis in Kirkwood, MO

Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to offering our Kirkwood, MO patients with effective, safe, and evidence-backed treatment plans that suit their daily lives and goals. Gait analysis can be incorporated into your personalized treatment plan:

• To get started, ask your doctor if gait analysis could be beneficial for you, or come to any Axes’ location for a complimentary injury screening.
• We’ll perform a comprehensive history taking and physical examination to gain insight into your goals, preferences, and medical history.
• We’ll build a partnership with you and your doctor, including the findings of gait analysis into your all-encompassing treatment approach, optimizing your mobility health, and promoting overall well-being.
• We’ll develop personalized treatment plans incorporating methodologies that have been validated through research and peer-reviewed studies, ensuring their efficacy.
• In addition to providing physical therapy exercises, we’ll support you in selecting appropriate footwear, braces, or alternative devices, while informing you on sustaining proper posture and enhancing movement health, drawing on insights obtained from gait analysis.
• We’ll utilize gait analysis, alongside other measurable data and indicators, to consistently evaluate your growth and adapt your treatment plan as necessary.

Axes provides far more than just a list of exercises to complete. With decades of combined experience, professional knowledge, and innovative technologies at our fingertips, Axes provides a specialized team of physical therapists in Kirkwood, MO who are driven to deliver the best results in your treatment.

Other services we offer in Kirkwood, MO include:

• Neck Pain Treatment
• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation

Call Axes’ for Your Gait Analysis in Kirkwood, MO Today

Gait analysis is an invaluable tool that can significantly contribute to your overall well-being and performance, whether that involves moving down the field or going up stairs without discomfort. As we are dedicated to offering individualized treatment plans that are proven to work, we are one of the few clinics in the Kirkwood, MO area that provide video motion analysis. If you want to enhance your movement health, call the nearest Axes location or contact us online to ascertain if gait analysis in Kirkwood, MO is appropriate for you.